Many systems and methods have been proposed for inserting static and dynamic images, such as advertising, into video in real time. These prior art systems and methods suffer from various drawbacks and problems, many of which are detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,892,554 to DiCicco, et al.
More current systems and methods, including the one disclosed by DiCicco, et al, rely on pattern recognition techniques for identifying landmarks within an image. The spatial relationships among the landmarks within the video image are used to locate, size and orient an inserted image. This approach has several problems. First, it is relatively computationally intensive, and therefore tends to require relatively expensive equipment. Second, it does not scale well, meaning that inserting multiple images simultaneously in the same frame is not easily accomplished. Third, it relies on two-dimensional information, gathered from the image, to guide insertion of an image into a three-dimensional scene. The process of creating a two-dimensional image of a three-dimensional world loses information relating to the physical structure of the world. Consequently, the inserted material may not seem realistic.